Molester sentenced

A National City man who molested three neighborhood girls was sentenced Aug. 21 to eight years in state prison.
Anthony Garza, 34, will have to serve 85 percent of that sentence before he is paroled, said Deputy District Attorney Carolyn Matzger. Garza will also have to register as a sex offender with a law enforcement agency after he is paroled.
Chula Vista Superior Court Judge Garry Haehnle denied probation and gave Garza credit for serving 294 days in jail.

He was fined about $700 with no restitution order.

Garza pleaded guilty July 24 to molesting all three girls who were under the age of 14 at the time. He pleaded guilty just before he was to have a preliminary hearing.

Deputy District Attorney Carolyn Matzger said the first incident occurred in 2005 and the last incident was in 2010.

The girls did not tell authorities about the molestation until last  December. Garza was arrested Dec. 9, 2013, by National City Police.

The charges involve lewd acts. Thirteen similar charges were dismissed.

His guilty pleas spared him from a possible life sentence had he been convicted at trial of all counts and sentenced consecutively, said the prosecutor.